Ghazali's attorneys said the shots were not meant to kill Harris but were supposed to be warning shots. Prosecutors noted that surveillance video showed Ghazali re-enter the store and continue serving customers after his brief pursuit of Harris. The clerk did not report the theft or the shooting.

“The defendant took it upon himself to be the judge, the jury, and the executioner over a $2 [drink]. That’s why we’re here,” state Prosecutor Lee Fowler said. “Why are you using deadly force to defend a [drink]?”